Thursday brings a stellar seven-game featured-slate, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. With a slate packed with pivotal decision points, it’s the perfect time to spotlight the top NBA DFS building blocks and picks for the day. Let’s break down today’s standout plays, including Amen Thompson, Terry Rozier and a host of others.
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NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: Thursday, Jan. 9
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NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks
Amen Thompson: Rockets at Grizzlies
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 40.84 | FanDuel: 40.97
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings: 55.3% | FanDuel: 35.8%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $7,100 | FanDuel: $7,900
Injuries continue to plague Tari Eason (leg), who is lining up to miss his 11th consecutive game and 13th of the last 15 opportunities to take the court. Jabari Smith Jr. is going to miss the next six weeks with a broken left hand.
Though these missing players should already be reflected in the DFS salary algorithms, the absence is not fully baked in, plus tonight’s opponent is a very thin Memphis squad.
Marcus Smart (finger) is out until at least next week, though Ja Morant (shoulder, five games) and Santi Aldama (ankle, six games) are getting closer to returning. That is key since Desmond Bane (ankle) is questionable after sitting on Monday, with Jaren Jackson Jr. (quad) questionable as well after carrying the load for the last fortnight.
Even with all of the injuries to the Memphis roster, the team still has been able to play average defense, though that is also offset for fantasy purposes by one of the faster rates of play in the league. This game has a 233.5 projected total, with the Rockets 1-point road favorites. The total is tied for the second-highest tonight, and the next closet is nearly double digits behind.
The Washington Wizards did not have a prayer against Amen Thompson on Tuesday, as the second-year forward dropped a 52-fantasy point offering. In his last two games, he averaged 21.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals. Expect his 41.5-minute average to slide down tonight, but this is a matchup where Thompson should thrive.
Alperen Sengun is in the mix on DraftKings ($9,100), while point guard Fred VanVleet is the better DFS option on FanDuel ($7,400). For those who enjoy narratives, this, of course, is a “Remember Me?!” game for Dillon Brooks, which could mean a solid performance or an early ejection, depending on his mood.
There may be some intriguing tournament options from the Grizzlies, though we will not know until closer to lock. It depends on which players are available among those half dozen key contributors who are questionable. The more who miss, the better the prospects will be for the understudies deeper in the rotation.
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Terry Rozier: Heat at Jazz
NBA DFS Projections
DraftKings: 29.73 | FanDuel: 28.9
NBA DFS Ownership Projections
DraftKings:31.1% | FanDuel: 48.9%
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $5,000 | FanDuel: $5,000
These days Terry Rozier is not particularly exciting; however, salaries are a thing in DFS, and he is sitting at a delightful $5,000 on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He should see at least 32 to 34 minutes tonight in a matchup against one of the worst defenses in the league.
Jimmy Butler played in only two of the last 10 games, while Kevin Love and Josh Richardson missed most of these games as well. This led to Alec Burks reentering the rotation, though he really is only a late-slate option against the team that drafted him. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a very hit-or-miss option. Two games ago he had 60 fantasy points against the Kings in Sacramento. However, that was his only outing above 30 fantasy points in the last seven, while he had one game in the mid-teens and another with just under 6 fantasy points.
Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo are secondary tournament targets who are borderline core plays on the late slate. Ideally, Miami will play with some passion tonight after losing by 36 points at home against the Jazz on Saturday night. Depending on your DFS site of choice, Nikola Jovic is a neutral to coveted play, with the loftier rating left for the Secret Site.
On Tuesday, Collin Sexton hit a last-second shot to tie the game against Atlanta, only to watch as Trae Young raced to halfcourt and heaved in a swish at the buzzer. Utah is without Jordan Clarkson, John Collins and Keyonte George again, so Sexton is in the mix at the point guard position. Rookie Isaiah Collier is best utilized for the later contests since his salary is ticking up and his production is unlikely to clear the low-20-fantasy point range.
Walker Kessler is one of several intriguing center options on the full slate, and Lauri Markkanen is worthy of tournament consideration as well.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Pick
Kevin Durant is worth looking at in the sports wagering market for the under on his 6.5 rebounds prop.
The screenshot of Portfolio EV shows that this wager projects to win 52% of the time. With the +104 odds, that leads to a stellar 6.0% expected value when accounting for the -108 “True Odds.”
FanDuel is currently offering +104, which exceeds the True Odds of -108 and the -120 (or worse) that most other books are offering.
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Stokastic’s Advanced NBA Statistical Projections have Durant projected for 36.5 minutes and 7.28 rebounds. While that median projection is above the seven needed for the under to lose, it is far from guaranteed as the lone outcome. In his last five games, the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer corralled six, six, seven, 10 and six caroms. It is important to note that Jusuf Nurkic is back, which brings another strong rebounder into the mix, and Atlanta has a good rebounding frontcourt. This wager is likely to go down to the wire, though the math is in our favor.
Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today
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